Career
He began his career as a baritone in the opera chorus of the Vienna State Opera. He eventually became the long term chorus master at that house and for many years was the chorus master of the Bayreuth Festival. He is currently the chorus master of the Coro dell"Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
In the early 1970s, Professor Balatsch (whose surname is sometimes spelt Balaatsch) was the Chorus Master of the (then) New Philharmonia Chorus, which was previously and later known as simply the Philharmonia Chorus.